Accessibility

A new report from the Center for Democracy and Technology examines ways in which AI-powered chatbots may negatively impact voter confidence this election season, for people with disabilities.

Plus, New Mexico has awarded $40 million in grants for broadband, libraries in a North Carolina county are expanding access to Internet-enabled devices and assistive technology, and more.

Visitors to Virginia’s Natural Bridge State Park who are blind or visually impaired can now use RightHear technology to navigate the park’s natural wonders. Travelers can use it, too, to translate information in 26 languages.

Up to 40 percent of global students have to learn in a second language, limiting their educational outcomes. AI translators, chatbots and multilingual text-to-speech tools can help bridge the gap.

Government and industry leaders are working to better understand how data collection may not effectively document what people with disabilities need. They're improving the process by doing a better job of gathering information.

The state’s new Disability Information Hub offers information about state programs, resources and assistance for people with disabilities. Their input helped guide its development and design.

The Section 508 Refresh Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and others, would update Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires agencies to make federal technology accessible — including websites.

From principles of human-centered design to adhering to web accessibility best practices, the new issue of Government Technology explores what it takes to make online government truly work for all residents.

With a new requirement from the Department of Justice looming, state and local governments must make their digital services accessible for people with disabilities, but not all are starting from the same place.

A new rule from the U.S. Department of Justice requires public schools to ensure that any web or app-based content that impacts student opportunities complies with globally recognized accessibility standards by 2027.

Plus, Massachusetts has added three members to its digital accessibility board, a federal resource on digital literacy aims to support community needs, and more.

As the federal government moves forward on assessing and using artificial intelligence technologies, three partners are working to ensure people with disabilities are engaged throughout the process.

Artificial intelligence tools trained on non-representative data have the potential to exacerbate inequities in the education system, unless developers train better ones and educators are strategic about using them.

With Michigan State University as its first academic hub, Teach Access will consult on digital accessibility curriculums and offer students real-world educational and employment opportunities.

The state has brought together agency staff to figure out ways to make its website and digital services more accessible to people with disabilities. The work reflects wider trends in gov tech, including public safety.

The federal Department of Justice’s final rule in April updated the Americans with Disabilities Act, requiring accessibility for all government content. Here’s what that means for state and local entities.

Students and faculty at a Connecticut high school helped a visually impaired student "see" the recent solar eclipse using LightSound, a small device developed at Harvard University in 2017 that converts light into sound.

A speech language pathologist in New Orleans praises the use of alternative and augmentative communication devices in classrooms to help students with autism, learning disabilities, brain injuries or sensory impairments.